Japanese submarine I-176
Encyclopedia
The I-176, also named I-76,Although the submarine had been named I-76 when ordered in 1939, she was renamed I-176 upon her completion in 1942. was a (KD7 Type) of the Imperial Japanese Navy
during World War II
. The most successful submarine of her class, she severely damaged the heavy cruiser
in October 1942 and sunk a U.S. submarine in November 1943, the only Japanese submarine to sink one of her American counterparts. I-176 was sunk in May 1944 in the western Pacific
by the American destroyers , and .
in Hiroshima prefecture
. On completion in 1942 the vessel was renamed from I-76 to I-176 and was sent initially to Truk in September 1942. On October 13, an American carrier group was sighted off the Solomon Islands
. Japanese submarines in the area, including the I-176, were ordered to travel north to carry out an attack but the I-176 was the only Japanese vessel to successfully engage one of the US vessels. She attacked USS Chester on October 20, 1942, at 13°31′S 163°17′E some 120 miles (193.1 km) southeast of the island of Makira
(then known as San Cristobal). The cruiser was badly damaged, suffering 11 killed and 12 wounded. After returning to Sydney
, Australia
to carry out repairs, Chester had to withdraw to Norfolk, Virginia
for repairs which kept her out of the war until September 1943.
I-176 was subsequently converted to a transport role, with her 120 mm gun being removed and fittings for a landing craft being added. She was ordered to Guadalcanal
, where she successfully carried out the first submarine resupply operation of the Japanese garrison on the island in December 1942. A second supply mission the following month failed. In March 1943 I-176 narrowly avoided destruction when she was attacked at Lae
, Papua New Guinea
by US B-25 Mitchell
bombers while unloading supplies. Her commander, Yahachi Tanabe, was wounded by machine-gun fire from the bombers and had to relinquish command a few days later.
After several months of repairs in Japan, I-176 returned to Lae, Sio and Finschhafen
in New Guinea to carry out a number of successful supply runs between July and October 1943. The submarine was ordered to Truk in November 1943 but her instructions were intercepted by US signals intelligence. Several American submarines in the Truk area were informed that a Japanese submarine was in the vicinity. A message from I-176 was intercepted which reported that the vessel had "Received direct torpedo hit en route to Truk, no damage". It had presumably been attacked by an American submarine but had escaped damage, most likely due to a defective torpedo. On November 16, the probable attacker, , was itself sunk by I-176. The I-176's log recorded that it had fired three torpedoes, claiming two hits which destroyed the target. The loss of the Corvina was not announced until March 14, 1944; she was the only American submarine to be sunk by a Japanese submarine in the entire war.
I-176 returned to Kure in Japan for an overhaul between the end of November 1943 and mid-March 1944. She subsequently returned to Truk in April 1944 and was despatched to Buka Island
at the far western end of the Solomon Islands archipelago, where she was to undertake another supply run. She was spotted by a US patrol plane whose radio reports summoned the destroyers , and to the scene. On the morning of May 16, the destroyers began to comb the waters off Buka. Haggard made a sonar contact at 4°1′S 156°29′E. at 21:45 and began dropping depth charge
s. The other destroyers joined in, carrying out a series of depth-charge attacks that continued for several hours. The following morning, the destroyers found evidence of the destruction of I-176 – fragments of sandalwood
and cork
and paper marked with Japanese words. There were no survivors. I-176 was presumed lost on June 11, 1944 and was removed from the Japanese Navy List on July 10.
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The most successful submarine of her class, she severely damaged the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
in October 1942 and sunk a U.S. submarine in November 1943, the only Japanese submarine to sink one of her American counterparts. I-176 was sunk in May 1944 in the western Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
by the American destroyers , and .
Service
I-176 was ordered in 1939 but construction did not begin until 1941 at the Kure Naval ArsenalKure Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands along with the establishment of the...
in Hiroshima prefecture
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
. On completion in 1942 the vessel was renamed from I-76 to I-176 and was sent initially to Truk in September 1942. On October 13, an American carrier group was sighted off the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. Japanese submarines in the area, including the I-176, were ordered to travel north to carry out an attack but the I-176 was the only Japanese vessel to successfully engage one of the US vessels. She attacked USS Chester on October 20, 1942, at 13°31′S 163°17′E some 120 miles (193.1 km) southeast of the island of Makira
Makira
The island of Makira is the largest island of Makira-Ulawa Province in the Solomon Islands. The island is located east of Guadalcanal and south of Malaita. The largest and capital city is Kirakira....
(then known as San Cristobal). The cruiser was badly damaged, suffering 11 killed and 12 wounded. After returning to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to carry out repairs, Chester had to withdraw to Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
for repairs which kept her out of the war until September 1943.
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, where she successfully carried out the first submarine resupply operation of the Japanese garrison on the island in December 1942. A second supply mission the following month failed. In March 1943 I-176 narrowly avoided destruction when she was attacked at Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
by US B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
bombers while unloading supplies. Her commander, Yahachi Tanabe, was wounded by machine-gun fire from the bombers and had to relinquish command a few days later.
After several months of repairs in Japan, I-176 returned to Lae, Sio and Finschhafen
Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
in New Guinea to carry out a number of successful supply runs between July and October 1943. The submarine was ordered to Truk in November 1943 but her instructions were intercepted by US signals intelligence. Several American submarines in the Truk area were informed that a Japanese submarine was in the vicinity. A message from I-176 was intercepted which reported that the vessel had "Received direct torpedo hit en route to Truk, no damage". It had presumably been attacked by an American submarine but had escaped damage, most likely due to a defective torpedo. On November 16, the probable attacker, , was itself sunk by I-176. The I-176's log recorded that it had fired three torpedoes, claiming two hits which destroyed the target. The loss of the Corvina was not announced until March 14, 1944; she was the only American submarine to be sunk by a Japanese submarine in the entire war.
I-176 returned to Kure in Japan for an overhaul between the end of November 1943 and mid-March 1944. She subsequently returned to Truk in April 1944 and was despatched to Buka Island
Buka Island
Buka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville.- History :Buka was first occupied by humans in paleolithic times, some 30,000 years ago...
at the far western end of the Solomon Islands archipelago, where she was to undertake another supply run. She was spotted by a US patrol plane whose radio reports summoned the destroyers , and to the scene. On the morning of May 16, the destroyers began to comb the waters off Buka. Haggard made a sonar contact at 4°1′S 156°29′E. at 21:45 and began dropping depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s. The other destroyers joined in, carrying out a series of depth-charge attacks that continued for several hours. The following morning, the destroyers found evidence of the destruction of I-176 – fragments of sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
and cork
Cork (material)
Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber , which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa...
and paper marked with Japanese words. There were no survivors. I-176 was presumed lost on June 11, 1944 and was removed from the Japanese Navy List on July 10.
External links
- HIJMS Submarine I-176: Tabular Record of Movement - Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp